Whores & Wives XXIV

“I can’t continue to go on like this; living these lies,
navigating these webs of deception….my life is falling apart!” I sobbed in Dr.
Sanchez’s office.

“Well, we knew this was coming. We tried to tackle it head
on, but it’s okay that we did not. It’s too late to talk about what we did not
do; we need to focus on what we can.” Dr. Sanchez tried her best to calm me
down.

“There is nothing I can do.”

“You can tell the truth, Amya.”

“Yea…but at what cost? What if my daughter never speaks to me
again for betraying her wishes?”

Dr. Sanchez shot me a bullshit look, “What we’re not going to do is cloak our inaction in parental concern. This has
nothing to do with that child’s wishes and even if it did, she is a CHILD. Just because she’s carrying a fetus
doesn’t make her your equal as far as your parent-child relationship is
concerned. You’re still the parent. It is your job to protect her and make the
best decisions for her welfare.”

“…okay and then what?” I asked angrily, “Everyone keeps
insisting I tell the fucking truth, but you’re not the ones who’ll have to deal
with the aftermath of it all. What if happens Derrick Michael finds out Catina
isn’t his child? What happens to my standing in the church when my affair with
Carmen – and Pia – are made
public? – he can take half my money and then some!”

“…well, did you deceive him into believing Catina was his
child?”

“I didn’t deceive
him…he never asked.”

Dr. Sanchez stared at me with contempt. I exhaled and put my
head down.

“Amya,” She crossed her legs and sat back in her chair, her
fingers fiddled with a black ballpoint pen, “…I mean this in the most
respectful way possible but, you’re full of shit.”

“EXCUSE ME?” I sat up, wide-eyed.

“You heard what I said, you’re full of it. You sit in this
office lamenting about your sad life and how people have deceived and
mistreated you, but you refuse to acknowledge the ways in which you do those
things to others. Not even a little bit!” I swallowed and shifted my weight in
the chair. She scoffed and continued, “You can’t expect the truth when you
continue to stand in your lies. It is your own deception that deceives you.”

“Why can’t you people just leave me alone and give me time?”

“Time does not equal eternity, Amya. You’ve been asking for
time for years and I warned you, the shit would hit the fan and you’d have no
choice but to share your truth. Well, I’m sorry honey, but that time is now.”

Dr. Sanchez leaned in close and grabbed my hand, but I pulled
away. I stood and started pacing about the room trying to figure out a way to
save Timaya without sacrificing myself.

“I’m sorry, Amya….but I had no choice….” Dr. Sanchez stood
just as I heard a knock on her office door. Within a second, her assistant
stuck her head in and nodded.

“Thank you, Amber, please show her in.”

“Show who in? What’s going on?’

“Amya, I didn’t want to ambush you, so I thought it would be
better if we did things this way…”

“Did what, what way?”

As I turned to face the doctor, an attractive androgynous
woman with long dreadlocked hair entered the room. She smiled and greeted Dr.
Sanchez with a kiss on the cheek before turning to extend her hand towards me.

“Hi.” I didn’t bother with shaking her hand. “Why is she
here?” I settled my attention back on the doctor.

“I was trying to tell you before she arrived. Would you sit?”

“I would stand.”

“Okay,” She threw her hands up, “that’s fine too. Tanya,
would you step out for a moment and I’ll call you back in when we’re done?”

“Amya, I’m not sure if you recall our first session, in which
I explained patient confidentiality?”

“Yea…” I shrugged, “…so?”

Dr. Sanchez sighed and blinked slowly, “….do you remember the
reasons I explained I would be required to break confidentiality by law?”

I rolled my eyes around in my head trying to recall,
“…vaguely, why? What does this have to do with…?”

“Amya you confessed to first-hand knowledge of a crime
against a child – your own child- that you refuse to report, and you refuse to
take the necessary steps to remove your child out of harm’s way. By Law, I am
required to report this. I am required to intervene to protect your child.”

“Wait a minute…what are you saying?” It was like I heard her,
but I wasn’t sure I HEARD her, heard her. I know my
therapist wasn’t telling me she’d snitched me out.

“I haven’t reported you to the proper authorities yet…I
called a detective friend who I think can help you through the process and make
this as gentle and discreet as possible…do you…have … lawyer…with…in…case…”

I didn’t need to hear anything else. I immediately stood up
and grabbed my bag and headed for the door. Dr. Sanchez jumped in my way trying
to convince me to remain, but I can’t tell you what she said. I had a one-track
mind and that was to get gone.

I pushed the good doctor aside and dashed out the office
door. Her detective friend was sitting on the couch as I flew through the
reception area like a madwoman.

“AMYA! COME BACK!!”

I could hear Dr. Sanchez calling behind me, but I wouldn’t be
going back, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. I entered the hallway just as an
elevator door closed, leaving me without an exit.

“AMYA! Thank God I
caught you.” Dr. Sanchez caught up with me in the hallway outside her office,
her detective friend trailing– guardedly- behind her. “You
dropped this!” She handed me my phone, I must’ve dropped it in the chaos.
Now I felt dumb.

“Oh…thanks. I… I really
have to go.” I smashed the big white button on the wall wishing it’d make
an elevator appear sooner.

“If you run away, I
will have to report this to the authorities immediately.”

“No, you don’t. You’re choosing to do this to me, just like my
sister…just like everyone else in my life. You’re trying to force me to do what
you think is best for my life!”

“Amya, we have talked about this. You cannot turn
yourself into the victim in every situation. This is not about you, it is about your child!”

“WHAT I KNOW IS YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT MY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS IN THE
MIDDLE OF A GOT DAMNED HALLWAY IN FRONT OF A TOTAL STRANGER! HOW ABOUT I CALL
THE PSYCHOLOGY BOARD…OR WHOEVER HANDLES YOUR LICENSE?” I threatened, seriously. I was all in her face
by now, built-up emotions willing me to strike.

Dr. Sanchez smirked and clasped her hands together behind her
back.

“Deflect all you want
Amya. I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to give you the “time” you claim you
need; but if you don’t Detective Lewis’ help, I can’t force it. Just know, if
you choose to walk out that door without talking to her, I will be forced to report
this to the authorities and they will
follow up.”

As soon
as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened offering me a means of
escape. I dashed into the metal box and immediately placed my finger on the
“door close” button, hoping to end our interaction as quickly as possible.

“Amya,
I WILL CALL THEM. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Dr.
Sanchez stared at me, her eyes pleading with me to come back into the office
and work this out.

“I’m sorry Dr. Sanchez. You do what you
gotta do, but this is the last time you’ll see me.”

The elevator doors slid shut as if on cue with the end of my
sentence. I pressed the button for the parking garage again and leaned against
the back wall. Silence filled the dank metal space, but confusion filled my
head. I checked my phone aimlessly.

“Four missed calls from
work…what the hell?” I spoke to myself out loud.

DING. The elevator
door opened to the parking garage. A frail looking security guard sat inside a
small booth my right. Somewhere in the parking lot, another patrolled in a
vehicle. I waved towards the booth as I crossed the parking lot towards section
H where I’d parked my car.

“THE TRUTH! THE TRUTH!
THE TRUTH! WILL SET YOU FREE!” I was startled by strange man with a wild
look in his eye. He was dressed in a tattered dingy robe and had no shoes. He
was placing fliers in the windows and windshields of each vehicle he passed.

Alarmed, I tried to scoot past unnoticed, it didn’t work.

“THE TRUTH!” The wild-eyed man locked eyes with me and mashed a
flier into my chest. “TRUTH!” He
yelled once more and hobbled away, continuing his rant. I shrieked in disgust
and ran the few paces to my car and locked myself in as quickly as possible.

The patrol vehicle drove by and slowed towards the end of the
row, where the old man was now ranting at another couple heading towards their
car. The guard appeared to be speaking with the man who was now yelling louder
than before. I was about to put my car in drive, when my phone rang. It was my
job, again. This couldn’t be good.

“This is Amya, what’s going on?”

“Amya! Oh…good I’m so glad I finally caught you. What is
going on, where are you? You were supposed to be here for the Brotham proposal
three hours ago!”

“What? That’s not today, that’s next week.” I scoffed,
relaxing my concern. I put my car in drive and began to back out of the parking
space.

“NO.” I heard DeCorey’s disappointed voice on the other end
of the phone. Haven’t you checked your emails? This meeting was moved up weeks
ago, we even had Kimberly contact you to confirm you’d be ready.”

“WHAT?” I sifted through my memories from the past several
weeks and not-a-single-one involved me talking to Kimberly about a change in
schedule. “I haven’t heard from KIM! She’s lying if she’s said otherwise!”

“She said she left several voice messages and sent a
follow-up text…”

“She did no such thing!”

“Listen, I don’t have time to sort this out. I’m only calling
you as a courtesy because we have history. But the shit hit the fan this
morning when you weren’t here. I don’t know what went down between you and
Kimberly, but she showed up, saved your ass and now the big dogs want you OUT
and her IN.”

“She presented a whole new idea, said it was all her own.
They loved it so much they accepted on the spot.”

“What idea?”

“Something about about embracing your identity…. I wasn’t in
the meeting, I was only briefed this morning when I got word you were about to
be cut.”

“CUT…you mean from the project…or…”

“NO, AMYA. THEY’RE FIRING YOU.”

“FIRING ME?” I slammed on my breaks. Thankfully there was no
one behind me. I sat at the entrance of the garage for a minute, the click of
the turn signal willing me to move on.

“I’m sorry, man. I really am…I tried to fight for you; but
this was a huge deal and for you to no-call, no-show on a day like today, just
seems…well…unprofessional. I don’t know what’s going on with you Amya, but I
know this isn’t normal.”

“DECOREY. YOU HAVE TO GET ME A MEETING WITH THEM. YOU HAVE TO
LET ME TALK TO THEM….”

“There’s nothing I can do, sis. I’m sorry. I fought for you,
hard. I even glared at that Kimberly bitch HARD when I found out…”

“Oh, you glared?” I remarked, sarcastically. “Thanks! I’m
sure that taught her a lesson…meanwhile, I’m still out of a damn job!”

“I understand you’re frustrated, Amya. If there was something
else I could do I would, but you signed an at-will contract. So they
technically don’t need a reason to let you go. If it’s any consolation, I was
able to negotiate they pay you a nice severance package that will help you stay
out of your savings until you find another job.”

“Where the fuck am I supposed to find another six-figure job
this time of year in this got-damned city? This is the top firm in our area! No
one can pay me what you all did! NOT here!”

“Amya, I’m really sorry. It was out of my hands.”

“Yea, well thanks for calling to let me know what the fuck
you couldn’t do…big help you are.” I slammed the phone down and sped into
traffic.

…a note from Trista Daniell

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